Ball-bearing.



WITNESSES D. V. MclLW AlN. BALL BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9.1914.

1 ,1 85,]. 1 Q. A Patented May 30, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1. v

ulv nun INVENTOR imam I I v I 1 I V I I I ATTORNEY D. V MclLWAlN.

BALL BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED JJNE 9,1914.

Patented May 30,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES ATTORN EY To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PA ENT OFFICE.

DANEIL V. MeILWAIN, OF SCOTTSBLUFF, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR. OF ONE-HALF T0 MARTIN MONTZ, OF SCOTTSBLUFF, NEBRASKA. I

BAIL-BEARING.

Be it known that I, DANEIL V. MQILWAIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scottsblufi, in the county of Scotts Blufl' and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Ball-Bearing, of which the following is a specification. j

The invention relates to improvements in ball bearings for shafting.

The' object of the present invention is to improve the construction of ball bearings and to provide a simple and eflicient selflubricating and self-cleansing ball bearing of durable and inexpensive construction, adapted to distribute the friction on a shaft and relieve the balls .of friction during a art of their travel through the bearing, an capable of producin a circulation of oil and of subjecting the alls to the actionof the air and a lubricating bath while they are not subject to the friction of the bearing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ball bearing of this character which may be equipped with any desired number of balls-to compensate properly for the amount of wear to which the hearing may be subjected, and in which the balls will be automatically spacedand prevented from crowding.

Another object of the-invention is to pro vide a ball bearing'adapted to hold a relatively large amount of lubricant, so that it will require attention only at intervals of considerable length of time, and equipped with means for returning the oil from the ball race of the bearing to the bath receptacle and for removing the impurities from the oil before delivering the same to the bath receptacle.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combinationof parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion,

size and minor details of construction, Within the scopeof the claims, may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificin any of the advantages of the invention.

11 the drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a ball bearing constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation ofv the same.

partly in section. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sec- Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented May 30, 1916.

Application filed June 9, 1914. Serial No. 844,001.

tional View of the ball bearing. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectlonal view on the line 4 40f Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view onthe'line 5-5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a trans- Versesectional view on the'line 6-6 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 IS a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the casing .or housing. Fig. .8 is an responding parts in all thejfigures of the drawings. In the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated the referred embodiment ,of-

the invention, 1 esi'gnates'a substantially cylindrical casing forming a housing for a. ball race .member 2,,which is adapted to surround a shaft 3 and maintain antifriction balls at in engagement with the same. The ball race memberfwhich is constructed of suitable metal, is in the form of a cylindrical spiral, and consists of spaced coils or convo-- lutions oppositely beveled at their inner edges"v Y v a spiral ball race havmg slde and rear walls. 7

to provide concave side faces ,5 which form- The' halls travel along the spiral 'ballrace l out of contact with. the casing. The terminal coils or convolutions'fi of the ball race meme ber'are enlarged and are provided'with' open ings 7- communicating with the ends of the exit passages for the antifriction balls,flwhich are forced to travel along the spiral race by the rotary movement ofthe shaft 3. The ball race member is spaced from the shaft by the antifriction balls 4, which enable the shaft to rotate in the bearing with a minimum amount of friction.

The cylindrical casing 1 is enlarged at the spiral ball race and forming entrance and".

top to form an attaching portion 9 having a fiat upper face 10 and provide with laterally projecting cars 11 which are perforated for the receptlo-n of bolts or other suitable fastening devices. The hearing, which may in practice, be arranged in any desired position, is designed to be supportedand fastened in the usual manner. The'casing is provided at one end with an integralflange 12, which forms an abutment for the adjacent end of the ball race member and the other end 13 ofthe casing is interiorly threaded for the reception of an' adjusting sleeve 14,- having exterior screw threads 15 ion for engaging the interiorly threaded pop-1 10 tionof the casing. The adjusting sleeve abuts against the adjacent end of the ball race member and is adapted to engage the interior threads of the casing for maintaining the race member in proper position, and also for compressing thesame to take up any wear of the antifriction balls and the spiral race. The spiral race member 1s suiiiciently resilient to permit a compression of its coils or convolutions to take up the wear of the balls. The adjusting sleeve 14 is provided at itsouter end with a polygonal wrench receiving flange 16, and it is equipped with a lock or jam nut 17 arranged on the threaded sleeve and engaging the adjacent end of the casing. In order to hold the race member against rotary movement within the cylindrical casing, the latter is provided with op osite longitudinal grooves 18, which are slldably engaged by ribs 19 projecting from the exterior of the coils or convolutions of the race member at diametrically opposite points. The grooves are preferably located at the top and bottom a to slide longitudinally within the casing of the casing, as shown, but they may be arranged at any other desired point, and one or more may, of course, be employed. The projecting ribs of the coils or convolutions interlock the same with the grooves and permit the said coils or convolutions when the sleeve 14 is adjusted to take up the wear.

The casing is provided at its end portions with openings 20 and 21, registering with the openings 7 of the race member and receiving terminal portions of a ball conduit consisting of a p1pe or tube 22 of approximately U-shape, composed of curved sides and a connecting curved bottom portion forming a continuously curved passage for the antifriction balls. The curved sides depend from the casing, so that the balls move downwardly within the same at one side of the conduit, and travel upwardly through the other side of the conduit. The terminal portions of the 'pipe or tube extend through the openings 20 and 21 and are suitably secured within'the apertures 7 of the race member, and terminate at their lower edges adjacent to the shaft, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5' of the drawings. The upper edges of the end portions of the tube or pipe are spaced from theshaft to permit the balls to pass freely into the tube or pipe at one end, and out of the same at the other end. The rotary motion of the shaft causes the balls to be discharged from one end of the spiral ball race, and as the balls leave the ball race and enter the ball tube or pipe, they will be in contact with each other and will remain in contact as they race through the said pipe. The balls ,being discharged with force from the ball race, will cause them to crowd in the ball meant pipe and return to and reenter the ball race, according to the space provided for them, and. they will automatically space themselves in the spiral ball race and be prevented from crowding while traveling throu h the same. The ball bearing is neither rig t nor left, and the balls are adapted to travel in either direction, according to the rotation of the shaft, but when several ball bearings are employed, they are preferably reversed. The number .of the coils or convolutions, the pitch of the same, and the length of the ball pipe or tube andthe consequent number of balls, maybe varied to satisfy the requirement of the bearing, and to enable any amount of friction to be properly compensatedfor. The spiral ball race distributes the friction on the shaft and the exterior ball conduit relieves the balls of friction durin a portion of the time. The friction is tfiereby reduced to a minimum, the durability or life of the balls is increased, and the tendency of the balls to heat is lessened. The opening 20, which is located adjacent to the adjusting sleeve, is elongated sufliciently to permit the necessary adjustment of the sleeve, without allowing the adjacent terminal of the ball pipe or tube to come in contact with the inner end wall of the elongated opening 20.

The lower curved connecting portion of the ball. pipe or conduit extends through an oil bath receptacle 23 and is provided with a sufficient number ofapertures 24 to subject the balls traveling through the pipe or tube-22 thoroughly to the action of the oil contained within the receptacle 23. The balls traveling through the pipe or tube 22 and through the ball race cause a circulation of oil through the bearing, and the oil collecting at the bottom of the cylindrical casing is returned to the bath receptacle 23 by a drain pipe 25, consisting of an upper centrally arranged vertical portion and an inclined .portion extending downwardly from the vertical portion to a suitable filter 26, which is located at the top of the oil bath receptacle at one end thereof. The filter 26, which may be of any preferred construction, is adapted to remove any impurities from the oil, which is returned to the oil bath receptacle in a clean condition. The balls are subjected to the oil bath while they are relieved of the friction of the bearing, and they return to the same thoroughly lubricated and at a reduced temperature. The oil bath receptacle may be of any desired capacity and it will enable the ball bearing to be supplied with a relatively large amount of oil so that it will require attention only at considerable intervals, say, once a month. The halls may also be subjected to the cooling action of the air, and for this purpose the ball pipe or tube may be provided with vent aperround a shaft, said race member being pro vided with an interior ball race extending around the shaft receiving opening, antifriction balls, a casing housing the race member, a ball pipe connected at its terminals 'with the ball race and extending downwardly from the casing and provided in its lower portion with apertures, an oil bath receptacle receiving the lower portion of the ball pipe, and a drain pipe connect-- ing the casing with the bath receptacle for returning the oil thereto.

2. A ball bearing including. a casing, a race member having an opening and adapted'to surround a shaft, said race member being provided. with an interior ball race extending around the shaft receiving opening, antifriction balls, and a ball pipe arranged exteriorly of the casing and connected at its ends with the terminals of the ball race and provided with inclined vent aper-' tures arranged to permit the entrance of air and prevent the escape of oil passing.

through the -'said pipe.

3. A ball bearing includinga casing, anti- I friction .balls, a spiral race member interposed between the casing andtheballsand composed of substantially cylindrical coils v or convolutions and having an interior spiral ball race adapted to permit antifriction balls totravel spirally'around a shaft. A

4. A ball bearing including a casing, antifriction balls, a spiral'racememberinterposed between the balls and the casing and having a shaft receiving opening and composed of approximately cylindrical coils forming an intervening spiral ball race.

'5. A ball bearing including a casing, anti-. friction balls, a spiral race member interposed between-the casing and the balls and composed of substantially cylindrical coils or con volutions and having an interior spiral ball race formed entirely by the said race member and adapted to permit antifriction balls to travel spirally around a shaft, and

means for compressing the coils or convolutions to take up the wear on the balls.

6. A ball bearing including a casing, antifriction balls, a spiral race member interposed between the balls and the casing and located within the casing and composed of substantially cylindrical convolutions forming an intervening spiral ball race and compressibleto take up the wear on the balls,

engaging the said and an adjusting sleeve threaded into one end of the casing and engaging the spiral A race member.

7 A ball bearing including a casing having a shaft receiving opening and provided at one end thereof with an annular flange, said casing being also'provided at its end portions with openings, the opening at the end remote from the flange being elongated, antifriction balls, a spiral longitudinally compressible race member arranged within the casing and fitted at one end against the I said flange and having a spiral ball race, an

, exterior ball conduit extending through the openings of the casing and connected with the terminals of the ball race, and means carried bythe casing for en aging and compressing the ball race mem er.

8. A ball bearing including a casing having a shaft receiving opening, and a ball race member arranged within the casing and having an interior spiral ball race and compressible'to take up the wear on the balls, said casing and ballrace member having coacting means for slidably interlocking the latter with the former.

9. A ball bearing including a casinghaving opposite grooves,"and a spiral race mem ber arranged within the casing and having an interior spiral: ball race, said race member being'compres'sible 'totake up the wear on the balls and provided at its coils or convolutions with projecting means for slidably ooves."

10. A ball bearlng including a. casing,

antifriction balls,aspiral race memberinterr posed between the balls and the casing co'm posed of approximately cylindricalcoils or v convolutions oppositely beveled at their inner edges to provide side bearing faces, the-bearing faces of the adjacent coils or convolutions forming an intervening ball race. 1

'11. A ball bearing including a casing, antifriction balls, a spiral race member interposed between the balls and the casing and having coils or convolutions oppositely beveled at their inner edges to form an intervening spiral ball race having side and rear walls, the end coils or convolutions being enlarged and provided with openings located at the ends of the ball'race and extending through the rear walls to form entrance and exit passages for the balls.

12. A ball bearing comprising a casing, a

contractible and expansible ball race member mounted in the casing, a shaft extending throught-he race member, balls, said race member causing the balls to'contact with the shaft in their travel around the shaft, means connected to the race member for conducting the balls from and to the racemember, and

means for lubricating the balls as they are conducted by said first mentioned means from and to the race member.

13. The combination with a casing havin a spiral ball race therein, and a plurality 0 below and independent of the casing, saidpipe being looped downwardly below the easing into the receptacle and having a plurality of openings in its lower portion to adrmt oil from the receptacle into the pipe about the balls, the pipe also having air openings adjacent its upper ends to admit air to the pipe for cooling the balls, a drain leading from the casing downwardly into the receptacle to return oil thereto raised y the balls in the pipe, and a filter on the lower end of said dram pipe.

14. The combination with a casing having a spiral ball race therein, a plurality of ball bearings in said race for supporting a shaft in the casing, and an independent oil bath .receptacle arranged outside-of the casing,

of a pipe secured at its oppositeends to the casing and communicating with the opposite ends of said ball race to receive balls therefrom and to deliver the balls thereto, the intermediate portion of said pipe being adapted to dip into said receptacle and hav ing openings in the sides thereof to admit oil to the pipe about the balls, without liberating the latter, and a drain pipe leading from said casing to the receptacle to remove oil collected in the casing carried from the receptacle by the balls. I

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my ownI have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DANEIL V. MGILWAIN. 

